Chapter Thirty-Five: Rainforest at Dawn (2)

“Damn, that looks delicious.”
“Little Ning must be starving, huh?”
“It really does look tasty.”
“I’m drooling over here!”
“It’s just grilled shrimp, you know?”
“Such cute little white teeth.”
“The way he eats so quietly is actually pretty adorable.”
“I’m hungry now, too.”
“Your Highness! You’re so cute!”
“Aren’t you going to sprinkle on some seasoning?”
“I wish I could have some…”

All the while, Zhang Ning kept a wary eye on his surroundings and explained, “Why do I eat fish or shrimp, these easily obtained foods, instead of just hunting a random wild beast? Because the scent of blood from beasts can attract even fiercer creatures! Then, we wouldn’t just be lost—we’d be in mortal danger. Getting lost is already bad enough, so we need to keep a low profile and quietly make our way out of the Liyin Rainforest. This isn’t the time to challenge Mother Nature.” He finished with a mischievous wink.

To his surprise, not a single comment accused Zhang Ning of cowardice. Everyone wholeheartedly agreed, finding his words genuinely useful.

After eating, Zhang Ning paced around for a bit before his eyes lit up. “Alright, let’s gather some fruit. It’s said that a newly initiated disciple of our Grand Freedom Demonic Sect once got lost right here. He survived for thirteen days on nothing but the safest fruits until the sect’s rescue arrived. I just want to say—well done!”

The barrage of comments expressed admiration for Zhang Ning’s concern for the lowest-ranked disciples, though a few scoffed at his self-praise.

Meanwhile, one of the elders of the Grand Freedom Demonic Sect, watching his livestream, wore an awkward expression. He couldn’t help but wonder: Is His Highness mocking me because I tattled on him? If Zhang Ning could see him now, he’d find the elder’s face quite familiar—it was Elder Muheng, who had been aboard the Big-Bellied Boat back then.

At that time, this elder had thought Zhang Ning’s methods were too gentle and had even considered reporting him to his superiors. Of course, the report had already been sent, and there was no taking it back now. Watching Zhang Ning’s broadcast, hearing him bring up the past, the elder felt a bit guilty, convinced that His Highness somehow knew and was poking fun at him.

What Muheng didn’t realize was that many of these crowd-pleasing, concise speeches were carefully crafted by Yu Zhong, who knew the Grand Freedom Demonic Sect inside out.

Zhang Ning picked up a square, yellow fruit from the ground and began to eat. “This fruit, known as the Good Square Fruit, is slightly sweet and non-toxic. If you’re ever unsure what to eat in the Liyin Rainforest—well, even though we martial artists aren’t too fussy, it’s best to stick to plants to avoid trouble, especially since so many things here are poisonous. Unlike in an ordinary forest, you can’t just eat whatever you’re strong enough to catch. Now that I’ve finished eating, I’ll figure out how to spend the night here.”

Zhang Ning carefully concealed his pride and relief as he said, “My cultivation technique is unique; I could project my inner energy externally even in the early stages.” With a swift motion of his hands, he swept his palms over the ground, unleashing the Grand Freedom Palm.

Over the past few days, after boosting his comprehension with hundreds of thousands of attention points, the Grand Freedom Demonic Sect’s fundamental technique had proved not so difficult after all.

The rotten, spongy leaves—deep enough to swallow a man’s foot—were instantly cleared away by the Grand Freedom Palm.

With a hint of pride, Zhang Ning said, “If you have no shelter, at the very least clear away these leaves. Scorpions and snakes rarely crawl onto bare ground.”

Next, using a dagger, he stabbed into a tree, then struck it with the Grand Freedom Palm, easily felling several small trees. He quickly lashed together a simple shelter with the trunks and some vines. His skill and dexterity left all the viewers stunned.

“Your Highness, your hands-on skills are impressive!”
“Such fine craftsmanship—has Your Highness trained before?”
“I’m touched; he’s done so much homework for us ordinary martial artists!”
“So cool, Little Ning!”
“If I’d known how to do this, my time in the forest wouldn’t have been so tough.”
“Just a minor trick!”
“Yeah, I usually just find a big branch and sleep on it with my buddies.”
“I go it alone and hardly dare to sleep at all.”
“Most people just spend the night in a cave, right? His Highness is amazing!”

Zhang Ning glanced at the comments. “I’m simulating a martial artist who’s gravely wounded and lost in the rainforest,” he said with a smile. “In that case, it’s best not to draw the attention of powerful beasts who have already claimed those caves.”

“His Highness is right!”
“He’s so approachable, even responding to us!”
“He was really shaken by what happened at Kindness Manor.”
“What are you talking about? Kindness Manor?”
“His Highness was moved by the fact that even disciples from our sect have gotten lost and perished in the Liyin Rainforest.”

“These little things really affect the Fifth Prince! He should be careful!”
“Even if he’s been shaken, I’m just glad for him. If only I’d matured earlier, too.”
“He really cares about the people under him!”
“I feel so lucky to have been accepted by His Highness.”
“Spotted: Someone from inside the Grand Freedom Demonic Sect!”

Zhang Ning finished building the shelter in no time, inwardly delighted: I paid for these skills with my attention points!

I spent nearly a million points just to fix that damn livestream function—let’s not mention that. If I’d developed on my own, I’d have had to perform on the streets for ages, or maybe even partner with the Meng family, who already had image transmission technology, just to earn enough points to repair the system!

At that moment, a thought flashed across Zhang Ning’s mind.

Could the system’s real purpose be to push me toward joining the righteous Meng family? And my destiny only took a turn because of my master? What a coincidence… The thought flickered and faded; for some reason, Zhang Ning didn’t dwell on it.

He shifted his focus: Upgrading this zero-tool crafting skill to intermediate cost me several thousand attention points, but it was worth every bit—so useful!

Thousands of miles away, within the Grand Freedom Demonic Sect,

Xing Qiluo had just sent a sternly worded reply to the inquiry from Immortal Lord Meng.

He gazed at a figure lying on the bed, not his usual lively self but pale-faced, with dark hair spread across the pillow, and sighed softly.

“Your disciple really is something—just barges right in! But I know you—if it were up to you, you’d protect him to the end. So… that settles it. There’s no way I’m telling him about your condition and asking for his help right now.”

Xing Qiluo contemplated Chu Hanyu for a moment, then suddenly flicked him hard on the forehead, the sound echoing through the quiet room. He maintained his stern, handsome expression for a moment, then couldn’t help but laugh.

“Little Ning’s knack for getting into trouble is exactly like yours when you were young! You gave me such a hard time back then… And now here you are, obediently lying before me. But, Hanyu… you can’t just lie here like this. I need to wake you up!”